We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lexi Stambaugh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lexi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

Personally I feel like I started my business at the perfect time. I first started blogging about my recipes in 2017. It took me several years to get used to the technology, analytics, and grow a small following. I feel like those two years were necessary for long term success. In 2019 I met a group of local bloggers who were in the same boat as me; Feet wet in the blogging industry but looking to grow even more. Some of the more experienced bloggers took me under their wings and taught me crucial information about social media influencing. I feel that if I had started sooner or later, I wouldn’t have met the incredible people who helped shape me into the food and travel blogger that I am today.

Lexi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Lexi and I am the owner and content creator for Passport Flavor, a food and travel blog. I started the blog as a place to post recipes that my friends and family were requesting. After several years, I got connected with local bloggers who opened my eyes to the world of social media influencing. I combined my love of food with my love of travel, and I transformed my blog into a resource for both. Now I provide anything from restaurant recommendations, travel tips, information about other cultures, and more! I still post and write food recipes, and I do food and travel photography and social media marketing.

I think what sets me apart from others is my mission. Through Passport Flavor, I hope to open peoples eyes to new cultures through cuisine and adventure. Most of my best memories have been created around a table of food with both the people I love and strangers. I believe food and travel brings us closer together, and I use my platform to do just that.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When I first started, I didn’t know how to build a following. I was oblivious to SEO, so I wasn’t using the right tools and I didn’t reach anyone outside of my local community. Through self-education, I was able to learn how to connect with others in my niche. Over the years, I learned that with consistency, authenticity, and patience, I would attract people who wanted and enjoyed my platform. My advice for those starting out is to be yourself. Don’t buy followers or try to force your account to grow. Just show up as yourself, be clear about your mission, and you will attract people who truly want to follow your brand.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Blogging is some thing that I do on the side. So when life gets crazy, I have to adjust my priorities. When I started grad school, I had to come up with a schedule in order to be consistent with posting my content on Instagram. Changing my strategy really helped me be productive both in grad school and with Passport Flavor.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.passportflavor.com
• Instagram: @passportflavor